Listen: Suresh Peters' "Vaa Maane Vaa" (Tamil)

Suresh Peters is perhaps best known for singing A. R. Rahman's genre-bending dance pieces Urvasi Urvasi, Pettai Rap, Chikku Bukku Rayile and Style (although it was Vidyasagar who introduced him in Jai Hind with the song Bodhai Yeri Pocchu), but a little familiar fact is that he is also a fantastic composer with an exceptional ear for melody and percussion. One of the easy high points of his career is Vaa Maane Vaa from the album Minnal (he would go on to reprise the same tune as Poo Poova in his Tamil composing debut Coolie, which also remains his sole Tamil film to date), comprising of hard-hitting ripples of congas and thavil, twangy morsing sounds, and Peters and Anupama's hypnotic vocals, even as it escalates into a lovely nadaswaram-laden outro. Listen below, alongside my favourites Ariyathe Ariyathe, Pachappavizha and Nandalaala -